HC moots fitness test for cops before deploying for security

Court stressed the need of changing of security guards periodically

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government to consider conducting fitness tests of police personnel who are deployed for security of VIPs like politicians, celebrities, businessmen etc. The HC also stressed on the need of changing of security guards (deployed for VIPs) periodically to ensure their skills are not wasted.

A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Mahesh Sonak said, “Changing the guards periodically will help the personnel as they will not have to remain at one place for an indefinite period. There should not be the same set of personnel giving security and wasting their skills. Let them guards go back to some other postings also.”

“Such a mechanism will also help the people who are provided with the protection. For instance take the case of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She was advised to change her bodyguards but she did not changed them,” CJ Chellur observed.

CJ Chellur while stressing on the need of fitness tests, said in a lighter vein, “I can run faster than my security guards. You must conduct fitness tests on your personnel before deploying them.”

The judges have also asked the government to spell out as to why the tax payers’ money was being spent for providing security to such VIPs. They also asked the government to streamline its current procedure for granting police protection to such high profile personalities.

“We do not understand as to why the government is spending the public funds to provide police protection to political leaders. We feel these politicians can pay for their security from their party’s funds,” CJ Chellur said.

The judges even asked the government to ensure a periodic revision of the applications they receive by various people seeking protection. The judges said this would help the police to ensure no one is misusing the protection, even after the elimination of the threat perception to their lives.

The judges were hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Sunny Punamiya, highlighting the conditions of the personnel who are deployed as security guards for celebrities, politicians etc. He had also highlighted the fact that several such VIPs, who have been provided with security, have failed to pay the dues towards the same.